Refrigerator cabinet



LA MAR s. COOPER REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed Sept. 6, 1940 Dec. 16; 1941.

, Po e wim m WM Ww Patented Dec. 16, 1941 2,266,703 REFRIGERATOR GABINET La Mar S. Cooper, Erie, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application September 6, 1940, Serial No. 355,559

9\Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerator cabinets and more particularly to devices for preventing condensation of moisture on the outside of such cabinets. This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 332,778, filed May 1, 1940, and assigned to the same assignee as my present invention. 1

Refrigerator cabinets, particularly those provided with a plurality of doors, frequently have portions of their outside surfaces which may be cooled to temperatures below the dewpoint of the surrounding air, resulting in the condensation of moisture on these surfaces. For example, the mullion provided between the doors of a twodoor cabinet has an outside surface which is insulated from the remainder of the outside surfaces of the cabinet by the door gaskets. Furthermore; since the door does not normally contact the jamb but rests on the door gasket, there is a space between the door and the surrounding gasket through which cold air may circulate from the cabinet interior thereby increasing the cool ing effect along the mullion. While the cold air also cools the door surface there is suflicient surface exposed to the surroundingair for the absorption of heat, thereby preventing excessive cooling, but the other surface of the mullion is separated along both sides by the gaskets and little heat can flow thereto over the cabinet and door surfaces. Therefore, the outside surface of the mullion will be cooled to a greater degree than the outside surface of the remainder of the refrigerator cabinet and in many cases this cooling effect will be suflicient to lower the temperature of the outside surface of the mullion below the dewpoint of the surrounding air-and therebyto cause condensation of moisture. Moisture formed on the mullion surface is obviously undesirable and may in some cases prove injurious to the cabinet and its fittings. Should the formation of moisture be excessive, it may also ,run down and collect on the floor.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved arrangement for preventing condensation of moisture on the outer surfaces of refrigerator cabinets.

Further objects and advantages of my 'invens tion will become apparent as the following description proceeds and thefeatures of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a two-door refrigerator cabinet embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is anenlarged sectional view of the center mullion fllustrated in Fig. l and an adjacent door; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional have provided the outer surface of the mullion with. a shield or covering l2 formed from material having relatively poor heat conducting characteristics or relatively good heat insulating qualities such as rubber, for example. In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. land 2 of the drawing the aforementioned covering comprises apair of gaskets l3 and ll, each of which extends around a door opening of the cabinet II. The gaskets l3 and M are constructed to lie in closely abutting relationship along the outer surface of the mullion and thereby substantially cover the outer surface of the mullion. In Fig. 3 there is illustrated a single shield or covering member 3| covering the outer surface of the mullion.

Describing my invention in greater detail I have provided a refrigerator of the domestic type comprising heat-insulated walls and a plurality of door openings closed by thermally insulated doors l5 and IS, the doors being' suitably hinged to the cabinet. In order to provide adequate cooling for the food storage compartments l1 and 4 I8, I have provided cooling elements or evaporators l9 and 20 in the compartments. l1 and I8, respectively. Inasmuch as thedetails of the refrigerating system form no part of my present invention only the cooling elements, or evaporators are illustrated in the drawing. Any suitable form of apparatus may be employed.

The cabinet door walls comprise an outer casing or wall 2| and an inner liner or wall 22 having suitable heat insulation 23 disposed therebetween. The walls 2! and 22 are maintained in spaced-apart relationship by a breaker strip 24 of non-metallic, non-hygroscopic material, such as a resinous product known under the names "Bakelite, Textolite, etc., in order to reduce the conduction of heat into the cabinet. The outer casing 2| of the door is provided with a flanged portion 2la extending substantially half way across the outer surface of the mullion ll so that the adjacent edges of the doors are spaced apart but a small distance, i. e., are closely adjacent, and the doors substantially 'cover and conceal the mullion in the closed positions of the doors and arranged to engage the gasket associated therewith for deforming the striking bead and sealing the space around the door opening. With this construction, heat is conducted to the covering by the outer casing 2| of the door.

The mullion I is provided between the openings into the refrigerated compartments l1 and I8 and comprises an outer metallic wall 25 and an inner metallic wall 26 having suitable heat insulating material 21 therebetween. The inner and outer walls of the mullion are separated by breaker strips 28 of the same material as that used for the breaker strips 24. The breaker strips 24 and 28 may be secured to the walls of the doors and mullion respectively in any suitable manner as by means of threaded fastening members, for example.

In order to seal the space between the doors and the cabinet walls and also between the doors and. the mullion l0, referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I have provided a pair of gaskets l3 and H extending entirely around the door openings. The gaskets may be of any suitable material having relatively poor heat conductive characteristics and formed in any desired fashion. However, in accordance with my invention, the gaskets are so arranged as to cover substantially the entire outer surface of the wall 25. The gaskets shown in Figs; 1 and 2 comprise an anchoring portion 29 and a striking bead 30. The anchorin DQrtion is arranged to be clamped between the breaker strip 28 and the outer wall 25. The striking bead 30 is preferably hollow, thereby increasing the resiliency of the gasket material and also providing a layer of dead air which is of assistance in minimizing the transfer of heat between the interior and the exterior of the refrigerator cabinet.

Tests made on a refrigerator similar to that shown and provided with a gasket and covering or shield l2 similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing disclosed sweating on the exposed surface of the gaskets between the two doors at approximately '70 per cent relative humidity in an ambient temperature of 100 F. whereas sweating occurred at approximately 55 per cent relative humidity in the same ambient temperature with the metallic outer surface 25 of the mullion Ill exposed to the surrounding air, the box air temperature being about 45 F. in each case.

In Fig. 8, there is shown an arrangement in which the outer surface or web of the mullion I0 is covered by a single shield or covering 31 having anchoring portions 32 clamped between the breaker strips 28 and the outer surface of the wall 25. The single covering member or striking portion 3| is hollow in shape and provided with internally disposed reinforcing means such as"a pair of angularly disposed members or arms 33 extending between the portion or web adjacent the mullion and the outer portion or web of the covering for supporting the latter. In the illustrated arrangement. the arms are disposed for establishing a heat flow path between the aforementioned portions which is relatively long, that is, long as compared with the path or bridge existing in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and in such a way that there is normally no direct heat conductive path between the exposed surface of the covering member and the metal surface 25 of the mullion, that is, when the doors are closed. The arms 33 are formed of material having relatively poor heat conductivity characteristics and may be' formed integrally with the covering member 3|, the region of engagement between the arms and the outer covering or portion being covered by the doors or closure means whereby heat must travel along a portion of the outer covering in order to reach the arms' 33. When this last described arrangement was tested, sweating did not occur until a relative humidity of '75 per cent in an ambient temperature of F. was reached, the box air temperature being approximately 45 F.

While I have illustrated the combined gaskets and shields as being supported on the refrigerator cabinet, the arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2 may .be secured in the more conventional fashion to the doors. However, the arrangement illustrated is preferred because it is diflicult to obtain a close enough disposition of the gaskets along the adjacent edges of the doors in the closed positions thereof. A further advantage of having the gaskets on the mullion is that a warmer surface is exposed to the atmosphere when the door or doors are opened than will be the case if the gaskets are on the doors so that a higher relative humidity is required to produce sweating than would be the case if the face 25 of the'mullion, which is at a lower temperature, were exposed.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention I do not desire my invention to be limited to the particular construction shown and described and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet of the type having a plurality of door openings, closure means for closing said openings, a mullion between the door openings, and a cooling element" for cooling the interior of the cabinet, a portion of the outer surface of the mullion so disposed that it may be cooled below the dewpoint of the surrounding air by the operation of the cooling element, means for preventing the condensation of moisture on said mullion, said means comprising a shield of relatively poor heat conducting characteristics provided exteriorly of said mullion whereby the surface of theshield exposed to the surrounding air at said mullion is maintained at a temperature normally above the dewpoint of the surrounding air, said shield also serving as a. seal to prevent the surrounding air from entering the interior of the refrigerator cabinet.

2. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet of the type having a plurality of door openings, a mullion between the door openings, and a cooling element for cooling the interior of the cabinet, a portion of the outer surface of the mullion so disposed that it may be cooled below the dewpoint of the surrounding air by the operation of the cooling element, means for preventing the condensation of moisture on said mullion, said means comprising a covering exteriorly of said mullion, said covering comprising a material having relatively poor heat conducting characteristics, whereby said covering is maintained at a temperature normally above the dewpoint of the surrounding air, said covering also acting as a seal to prevent the surrounding air from entering the interior of the refrigerator cabinet,

, 3. A thermally insulated cabinet having a pair of door openings, door means adapted to close said openings, a mullion provided between'the door openings, a cooling element in said cabinet,

the door openings, the portions of said gaskets I adjacent the outer surface of said mullion being formed from material having relatively poor heat conducting characteristics and being so constructed and arranged as to cover substantially the entire of said outer surface whereby the exposed surface of said gasket is maintained at a temperature normally above the dewpoint of the surrounding air.

4. A thermally insulated cabinet having a pair of door openings, door means adapted to close said openings, a mullion provided between the door openings, a cooling element in said cabinet, the outer surface of said mullion being so disposed that it may be cooled below the dewpoint of the surrounding airby operation of the cooling element, a gasket extending around each of the door openings, the portions of said gaskets adjacent the outer surface of said mullion being formed from material having relatively pcpr heat conducting characteristics and being constructed and arranged in closely abutting relationship along said outer surface to cover substantially all of said outer surface whereby the element, means for preventing the condensation of moisture on said portion, said means comprising a covering exteriorly of said .portion, said covering comprising a material having relatively poor heat conducting characteristics and having a hollow striking portion, said striking portion being provided with angularly disposed means of relatively poor heat conductivity extending between the outer web of said striking portion and the inner web of said striking portion adjacent the mullion, whereby said covering is maintained at a temperature normally above the dewpoint of the surrounding air. a

7. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet of the type having a plurality of door openings, closure means for closing said openings, a mullion between the door openings, and a cooling 7 lion, said covering comprising a material having relatively poor heat conducting characteristics 1 and also being provided with internally disposed exposed surface of said gasket is maintained at a temperature normally above the dewpoint of the surrounding air.

5. A thermally insulated cabinet having a pair of door openings, doormeans adapted to close said openings, a mullion provided between the door openings, a c'ooling'element in saidcabinet, the outer surface of said mullion being so disposed that it may be cooled below the dewpoint of the surrounding air by operation of the cooling element, a gasket comprising a hollow strik-' ing bead extending around each opening, the portions of said gaskets adjacent the mu1lion=being so constructed and arranged as to cover sub-v stantially all of said outer surface, and formed of material having relatively good heat insulating characteristics for restricting transfer of I heat between the exterior and interior of said cabinet through said mullion, said hollow bead providing a dead air space for further restricting the aforementioned transfer of heat, said gasket thereby serving to maintain on the outer surface,

of the type having a cooling element for cooling the interior of the cabinet anda portion of the outer surface of the cabinet so disposed that it may be cooled below the dewpoint of the surrounding air by the operationof the cooling reinforcing means extending between the in-v ner and outer surfaces of the covering, the'region of engagement between the reinforcing means and the outer covering being covered by said closure means.

8. A thermally insulated cabinet having a plurality of door openings, door means arranged for closing said openings, a mullion provided between the door openings, a cooling element in said cabinet, and means for maintaining the outer surface of said mullion at a temperature normally above the dewpoint of the surrounding air, said means comprising a covering of relatively poor heat conducting material on the outer surface of said mullion, said doors and said mullion-being so dimensioned with respect to each other rality of door openings, door means arranged for closing said openings, a mullion provided between the door openings, a cooling element in said cabinet, and means for maintaining the outer surface of said mullion at a temperature normally abovethe dewpoint of the surrounding air, said means comprising a covering of relatively poor heat conducting material on the outer surface of said mullion, said doors and said mullion being so dimensioned with respect to each other that the adjacent edges of the doors are closely adjacent when the doors are closed, said means also serving as a seal to exclude the surrounding air from the interior of the cabinet.

- LA MAR S. COOPER. 

